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A federal judge in New York has blocked a threatened strike by Northwest Airlines flight attendants that could have resulted in some flights being delayed or even canceled. With just hours to go before the flight attendants’ Friday deadline, the court prohibited them from implementing any organized work stoppages.

“As summer vacation seasons winds down, this is very welcome news,” said Consumer Help Web president Joan Bounacos. “Northwest did a great job weathering their mechanic’s strike in 2005, but this could have ruined many people’s vacations.”

Commenting on Judge Victor Marrero’s decision, Doug Steenland, Northwest’s president and chief executive officer, said, “We remain committed to negotiating a consensual agreement with our flight attendants and hope to accomplish that goal in the near future.”

The Labor Day Holiday weekend starts next Friday.

Posted under Travel

Northwest Airlines, just days after purchasing an operating certificate to perhaps launch a subsidiary airline, has announced that it will begin charging passengers who want to sit in “premium” coach seats.

The company said that it would charge passengers an additional $15 to sit in exit rows or other seats that traditionally have more leg room. Northwest did say that passengers in its most elite frequent flier statuses would continue to have the opportunity to upgrade their seat at no additional charge.

Posted under Customer Service, Uncategorized

Following on the heels of Delta and United, which both tried to operate smaller regional subsidiaries flying small jets, bankrupt Northwest Airlines has purchased Independence Air’s “operating certificate”.

The document is issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. Industry observers Consumer Help Web spoke with say that similar transactions are common when an airline is liquidated. One likened the process to selling a taxicab medallion in New York on a much grander scale.

Northwest and Delta remain in bankruptcy protection although both observers we spoke with said that customers shouldn’t panic over their frequent flier miles. “Seats will be tough to find,” said one source, “because they will sell a seat instead of giving it away.” The source recommended travelers with flexible plans continue checking because seats allocated for “revenue” customers may be freed up later for award travel.

Posted under Travel

Avoiding mass disruption that has marred previous work stoppages at its company, Northwest Airlines enters the fourth day of a strike by the airline’s mechanic’s union still flying and still seemingly without widespread system problems.

A statement issued by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, the union striking Northwest, claimed that the airline’s on-timer performance this year has been 78%, but that the number of on-time flights has dipped to 50% during the strike. Still, a tour of the carrier’s Memphis hub on Monday and media reports from its other two hubs in Detroit and Minneapolis seem to contradict the number.

“There could be a sampling issue,” said Consumer Help Web President Joan Bounacos. “Although the study reported that 99 flights were surveyed at random, a system-wide number was generated. Just a few outliers could skew that number.” Bounacos also noted that whether the number was 50% or 78% that the airline seemed to be maintaining operations despite the worker action.

“It’s always a good idea to check your flight’s status before leaving for the airport,” Bounacos said. “This action just makes it critical for Northwest travelers.

Although the airline has refused to comment on flight delays or statistics, the company has urged travelers to check on their flights by visiting the airline’s web site at nwa.com or by calling the airline’s toll-free flight information line at (800) 441-1818.

Posted under Travel